I Died So I Could Haunt You
by scottie994
Summary: Sometimes, your past comes back to kick you in the ass. And in Toshiro's case, his past comes in the form of a certain raven-haired girl, who may not be as nonchalant as she lets on. HitsuKarin.
1. i

**Disclaimer! I do not own Bleach or any other copyrighted material.**

* * *

_there was a point where I felt that something's gonna fall in my lap_

_like a sign from an angel, that tells me where to go_

* * *

Present

* * *

Swiftly, he walked. Or rather, he _strode_, through the paths and by the buildings, captain's haori flailing behind him.

Even with his reiatsu hidden, effortlessly in check, his ice cold demeanor could send chills through a person, repelling those who wished to interact and leaving him as an intangible being; one of the topmost intimidating men in the Seireitei.

And on this particular morning, he was going to intimidate and allure the hell out of Shin'o Academy's graduating class.

* * *

With his arms folded over his chest and unintentional scowl ever present, he spoke; intense, blunt, and straightforward, arrant to everyone that he was striving to finish as soon as possible. He had things to do, paperwork to fill out, a lieutenant to scold and a squad of men to train, he didn't have time for this.

Kyoraku, on the other hand, had thought otherwise. For reasons unknown, he had insisted the young captain conduct this meeting of the minds, or rather, articulation of rules and regulations to the next generation shinigami, with the assurance that Matsumoto would handle all responsibilities.

Yeah right.

But he obliged nonetheless; overlooked both the envious glares of his future frenemies and the infatuated stares of his future fangirls, collectively ignorant to the one set of eyes, obsidian to be exact, that were neither this nor that, but more so, just neutral.

Perfectly concealing the emotions within.

.

.

.

He'd wrapped it up in record time, much to his gratification. There had been few questions, much to his relief. And with simple words of departure, he vacated the room just as gracefully as he'd entered, destination being his office, where he'd fill out his paperwork with neither glee nor dismay, just solitude.

* * *

He only just stepped outside when a long since heard - but all too familiar - voice sounded from his right, halting him mid-step.

"I have a question." His collected demeanor crashed in a comical fashion. "Could you have been _more_ excruciatingly _boring_? Or was it just me?"

Clad in the red and white academy uniform, arms folded over her chest and that damned sly smirk on her face, she leaned against the building; casual, and clearly amused.

"Hey Toshiro," she addressed coolly as she pushed off the wall and approached his frozen in shock stature, eyes gleaming with unknown intent. "Long time no see."

* * *

_and I'm more lost now than I was back then_

_but I never once imagined I'd be begging for empathy_

* * *

**Lyrics: Ghost Ship feat. Hot Hot Heat - Neverending White Lights**


	2. ii

_I open up my gates and you become mine_

_it's game over in my undertow_

* * *

Past

* * *

"This is going to be _so_ much fun!" Rangiku exclaimed, the skirt of her Living World attire flapping about her thighs as she skipped around. "I'm so glad you decided to come, Taicho!"

"I only came to make sure you made it back on time." he reasoned bluntly, eyes never straying from the screen of his Hollow detector. "So please, Matsumoto, make my job easy and don't drink yourself stupid."

"Will do, Taicho!"

There was no determination whatsoever to heed his request, he knew, but he accepted it nonetheless and would let her have her fun, then scold her later.

"Ah! Hitsugaya! Rangiku!" A man with a green and white striped hat accosted jovially. "So glad you could make it!"

"Well of course!" The blonde chirped. "We would've gotten here sooner too, but grumpy pants over there just _had_ to finish his work first."

"I'm warning you, Matsumoto, call me that one more time-"

"Toshiro!" an all too familiar male voice greeted, rather airily, and he was soon lifted into the air by none other than his former captain. "What a pleasure it is to see you again!" An unimpressed scowl etched onto the younger man's features as he was practically shook. "You should really visit more often!"

"He's not going to visit you ever again if that's how you intend to welcome him, goat-chin," an equally unimpressed voice drawled, and Toshiro's attention instantly snapped to it's source, appearing in the form of a petite teenage girl, of whom he was unfamiliarized.

"Oh, darling, don't be silly! He likes it! It's fun!"

What was he, five?

Toshiro rolled his eyes, and to his relief, was put down within the minute. He immediately went about smoothing out his clothes, scowl unmitigated, whilst his previous captor ushered the girl and her honey-blonde companion closer.

"Karin, Yuzu, I'd like to introduce you to Toshiro Hitsugaya," he gestured from the two girls to the seemingly young man. "He was my third seat back in the day."

"Oh! Really Dad!" the one he deemed Yuzu exclaimed as she clasped her hands together. "That's so cool!"

"Hey," the other one, Karin, acknowledged with a nod. "Nice to meet you." He just grunted in response, as per usual, and she smirked, not unkindly but not friendly either. "Well, aren't you delightful."

A brow raise accompanied his unyielding frown in response, and with sudden disregard of him, Karin spun on her heel and addressed her sister, "Come on, Yuzu," she goaded, proceeding towards the small and outwardly dingy building that was the Urahara Shoten. "I have an arm-wrestling rematch with Renji."

* * *

He'd seeked refuge not long after. Away from the supposed party, where his lieutenant had begun to reminisce with their ex-captain, of course with alcohol, and given that he didn't much enjoy her drunken antics, nor the rest of the soul reapers who had attended, he'd relocated to the roof, where he now gazed at up at the night sky, unwittingly tracing pictures in the stars - impassive.

"Hey."

Broken from his stargazing reverie, he regarded the girl from earlier as she sat down next to him, and in a flat tone, he returned, "Hey."

"Oh, a syllable," she mocked with a chuckle, semi-long black hair cascading past her shoulders as she leaned back on her hands, feigning ignorance to his scowl. "So, whatcha doin' up here?"

He didn't respond, just resumed staring blankly at the sky, and she rolled her eyes, joining him in the act. But not without more taunting. "You know, your friend explained that you had quite the misgiving to parties, but I didn't think you'd be so inconsiderate as to just duck out."

He scoffed quietly. "And I didn't think you'd be so ill mannered as to follow me up here just to bother me. Yet, here we are."

She chuckled, unscathed. "Touche."

"What's it matter to you whether I stick around or not, anyway?"

"It doesn't," she admitted subtly. And at that, they locked eyes once more; his quizzical, begging elaboration, and hers unreadable, complementing her faintly coy response. "You're just fun to annoy."

* * *

_I wish I could explain, but I just ain't got the time_

_so I'll show ya, watch out now, here it goes_

* * *

**Lyrics: High Times feat. Turbo Fruits - Landon Pigg **


	3. iii

_look at me, my depth perception must be off again_

_cause this hurts deeper than I thought it did_

* * *

Present

* * *

"Well?" she egged him on, raising a thin brow. "Are you just gonna stand there like an idiot, or are you gonna say something?"

"Karin.." he found his voice once again, despite the suffocating remorse and self-antipathy erupting in his chest, "what.. what are you doing here?"

_Mental facepalm._

"I'm _dead_, Toshiro." Her tone was as blunt as could be, but it was clear that she was enjoying his discomposure. "Man, did you lose some brain cells over the past four years, or what?"

Regardless of his inner turmoil, he scowled. "Exactly, _four_ years. It takes _six_ to complete the academy's curriculum, so how is it that you're already graduating?"

"Your questions aren't getting any more intelligent," she mocked, fueling his agitation. "It's called being a genius and finishing school in three years." Somehow, this declaration was far from surprising, as it was in her blood to override the customs, and with emanating smugness, she continued. "I mean, it's not one-upping _you_, but it's rather remarkable, if I do say so myself."

"Hn."

If the parting of her lips were for that of another remark, perhaps of scorn, the words were surely swallowed when students abruptly began to emerge from the building, followed by,

"There you are, Karin-chan! Man, was that guy hot or-" the overly peppy voice hitched once it's wielder took note of him, the guy she was just about to praise with less than G-rated terms, and the girl's face immediately flushed,

"C-captain Hitsugaya! Hi!"

He didn't even bother to incline his head with acknowledgement, his eyes never straying from _her's_. And it would seem her friend had noticed this as well. "Oh, I'm sorry! Am I.." awkwardly, her silver eyes darted from Toshiro to Karin, "interrupting something?"

"Nope," Karin denied without hesitance. "Just catching up with an old friend.." Finally tearing her gaze from his and allowing him to breath easily, she cast her friend a grin. "Come on, Misa. Let's get out of here." The blonde girl only managed a nod, and Karin shot him one last look. "Nice talkin' to you, Toshi'."

Stilled on the spot, he watched her retreat out of his peripheral, only vaguely hearing her friend's frantic whispers and inquiries about their relationship, and once they disappeared from view, he bolted.

.

.

.

By way of excessive sprinting and shunpo, he arrived at his office in no time, feeling a false sense of reprieve as he sat at his desk, chest heaving.

Composing himself soon after, he picked up his pen and dipped it in ink, making to start on his paperwork; to indulge in the distraction as he so often did. When he went for the commonly abundant stack of documents, however, he found nothing but the flat wooden surface of his desk, and his eyes widened a fraction in both astonishment and confusion.

"Taicho!" his lieutenant accosted not a second later as she re-entered the room. "How'd it go today?"

He ignored her question. "Where's all the paperwork?"

"What d'you mean?" Rangiku pressed with a furrow of her brow. "It's all finished Taicho, I did it this morning."

She never failed to surprise him.

"Erm.. alright," he stood, hinging his zanpakuto to his back once more, "I'll just go overlook the training-'

"I just got back from a whole afternoon of training," she asserted. "The guy's have retired for the night, now." His crestfallen expression had her worrying. "Are you okay, Taicho?"

No, he wasn't okay. And it was all thanks to _her_.

* * *

_remind me how you laid us down, and gently smiled_

_before you destroyed my life_

* * *

**Lyrics: Rest In Pieces - Saliva**


	4. iv

_breathe in for luck, breathe in so deep_

_this air is blessed, you share with me_

* * *

Past

* * *

"Well.." Karin drawled no longer than a half-hour of serenity later, "this is boring."

He remained detached. "Feel free to leave then."

"Okay," she concurred all too happily and turned her full attention to him. "But only if you come with me."

"And go where, exactly?"

She shrugged, smoothing out her clothes as she stood. "Anywhere but here." She appeared to think for a moment, then cast him a grin. "I know, let's go get ice cream."

"I don't care for ice cream."

"You don't like ice cream?" she pressed incredulously, and at his nod of affirmation, her forehead creased. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

"You at the moment."

She merely chuckled. "Oh, come on," grabbing his hand, she pulled him to his feet and began leading him off the rooftop, "stop being such a loser and live a little."

It'd be easy enough to yank his hand away, shoot her a glare and return to his previous spot. Hell, he could even pop out of this gigai and turn her into an ice cube. Yet he didn't. He just allowed himself to be dragged along by this infuriating girl.

The reasons why, he couldn't quite put his finger on.

.

.

.

Out of his peripheral, he saw her smirk, her smug and victorious smirk, and he tried, really strained, to keep his scowl intact as he consumed this 'ice cream'. The flavour being 'death by chocolate', upon her insistence.

Perhaps it was her way of making an indirect pun.

But, for the undead life of him, he couldn't deny that it tasted good. Wonderful, even. It was like his first time trying amanatto, but better, and he found himself wanting another cone, especially when his current one suddenly disappeared from his life, leaving him rather wistful.

He had a near-irresistible urge to dart back to the parlour, just around the block, and order seconds.

He didn't, however; he just wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stuffed his hands in his pockets, unwilling to let her know he'd actually enjoyed the god forsaken treat. And so, with his slightly forced indifference and her jovial muteness, courtesy of the ice-cream preoccupying her mouth, they walked in silence. And oddly, he found himself enjoying it.

If only for a little while.

"Alright, this is me." It was only at her announcement that he realized he'd been unwittingly steered in an opposing direction of the Urahara Shoten, and now stood on the outskirt of a half-clinic-half-home based property, immediately deeming it the Kurosaki residence.

He cocked a brow at her. "Not going back to the party?"

"Nah.." she shook her head, leaning back on the cement fence, "I'm kinda tired.. climbing up on that roof took a lot out of me." He merely smirked, keeping his mocking comment to himself for once. "Could you let my dad and Yuzu know I came home, for me?"

"I think I can manage."

"Never cease to amaze," she remarked subtlety, a smirk playing her lips as she straightened up, planting herself just inches before him. "Well, this was quite a fun night, Toshiro." He remained silent, eyeing her intently whilst refraining, unfathomably, from correcting her use of his name. "I mean, stargazing and ice cream, ending with a nice long walk through the night," she feigned a dreamy-esque tone, "it was rather romantic, don't you think?"

The lightest scoff escaped him. "If you're referring to being dragged around town by a puny nuisance such as yourself, then yes, quite romantic indeed."

"Oh, come on, Toshi'," she jibed, features gleaming cutely. "There's no harm in having fun once in awhile."

"First, don't call me 'Toshi'. And, I do have fun."

"Uh huh.." she concurred with blatant disbelief. "You know, I bet you're one of those guys that just sits around doing paperwork and barking out orders all day." In the beam of streetlights, she caught the slight change of his expression, and her eyes broadened with amusement. "You are, aren't you?!"

He scowled. "Didn't you say you were _tired_."

"Oh, I'm _never_ too tired for this." His scowl deepened. "But, you're right.. I should get to bed. I have a job of my own to get to in the morning."

"Hn."

"I am gonna miss you, though," her voice rang sincerity, "So," If it were possible, her grin widened, "don't be a stranger."

There was an evasive undertone to her final words that had the gears of his mind turning, working to decipher something that may not even be there, and with a chuckle, as if she had perceived his uneasiness, she stood on the tips of her toes to plant an out of the blue kiss on his cheek, evoking a chain reaction of obscure emotions.

"'Night," she sent a breath trickling down his neck, drawing back not a second later.

With a flutter in his chest and a deep scowl on his face, he watched her retreat, all the while thinking of how to describe her. Only one word came to mind.

Fickle.

* * *

_this night is wild, so calm and dull_

_these hearts they race, from self control_

* * *

**Lyrics: Hands Down - Dashboard Confessional**


	5. v

_drying up in conversation_

_you will be the one who cannot talk_

* * *

Present

* * *

To say he'd been off-track that week, would have been a vast distortion of reality.

Sure, he stuck to his routine; he showered daily, slept regularly, filed his paperwork accordingly and governed his squad as a captain should, his cool facade never once faltering.

But that was only on the outside; on the inside, however, he was far from collected.

His thoughts constantly drifted to _her_, images and memories ever flowing through his mind on a short-circuit train of nostalgia, and this only seemed to heighten with every passing day.

And on that seventh day, when he couldn't handle the drunken antics of Matsumoto and Hisagi, but felt it too early to retire to his personal quarters, he ventured to his third place of solitude, the best view of the sunset in all of the Seireitei; Sokyoku Hill.

Perhaps there, he could sort out his tribulations, appease his mind, and moreover, abate his aching heart.

When he reached his destination, however, and immediately noted the petite raven-haired girl sitting in his spot at the very edge, all previously listed hope quickly diminished. In fact, it did a complete 180, taking him back to that morning, when she'd torn down the wall he'd spent four years rebuilding with nothing more than artful speech and a coy gleam, enslaving him to her undertow once again.

There was a part of him that wanted to approach her, talk to her, ask all those questions that had been spurting like daisies in the springtime, yet, he hesitated, tried to resist the pull, deeply contemplating whether to escape or not.

And he had only just chosen the former when she tugged on that imaginative rope she'd bound around him.

"Are you planning to stare at me all night?"

Having been stilled on the spot for an indefinite extent of time, he nearly staggered at the sudden address, exhaling a breath he hadn't known he was holding.

Seemed she'd reprised her role of being the only one to ever make him lose his cool.

However, he managed to keep the outward aspects intact, projecting pure nonchalance as he took his place beside her, folding his arms atop his knees in a leisurely manner, and when he met her gaze, a partially civil, partially sinister air erupted around them.

"Suppose I'm just surprised to see you here," he reasoned coolly, shrugging.

She smirked faintly, averting her gaze to the orange-pink horizon once more. "You know I've always had a thing for sunsets."

"Right," he conceded, his lips curling ever so slightly. "How could I forget."

"You seem to have forgotten many things over the years," she quipped, bitterly.

His eyes hadn't deviated from her, gleaming wistfully as they traced the curve of her slender frame and reevaluated the facet of her beatific features, concluding her to be even more stunning than she was four years ago. "There's nothing I don't remember, Karin."

The slight grimacing twist of her expression didn't go unnoticed, yet, there was no retort, no witty remark, only a faint shift to her form and a dainty bite of her lower lip, ensuing silence.

Well, that was a first.

And he fostered it; basked in the daunting serenity that accompanied her presence and kept his mouth shut until the last traces of the sun were enveloped by the night, when she shifted to get up and he nearly panicked, rushing out the words of his most crucial inquiry - "How'd it happen?"

She froze in the midst of her departure, partially on all fours, and cast him a quizzical look. "Excuse me?"

"Your death." He couldn't have been more blunt. "How did it happen?"

Her muteness rang defiance, refrain from answering, and he felt his agitation build. "Why?" he changed tactics, shifting to meet her guarded stare through the near-darkness. "Was it a Hollow, suicide, what?"

His arrogance was truly remarkable, she mused, barely stifling a scoff, "You really wanna know?" Cunning attitude resurfaced, she leaned in, a bitter smirk playing her lips as she whispered in his ear, "Maybe I just missed you."

Aquamarine eyes widened a fraction, incredulous, and he strained not to shudder with pleasure as her lips grazed his skin ever so lightly. Then, she was gone. And he was left sitting there, all alone - dumbstruck.

.

.

.

Via mid-air, rooftops and tree branches, she escaped. Far away from that obtrusive white mop of hair and those brilliant teal eyes, that even in the pitch-black haze, could pierce through her force field, right to the heart.

Feeling sick to her stomach, she stopped. Chest heaving, heart aching, and eyes stinging, threatening to well up with pitiful water works. But she blinked them back, refusing to cry over him or anything else, and simply straightened the violet kimono her brother had gotten for her, raking her fingers through her hair in a manner of composure.

With a quick area scan, she found herself in the fifth Rukon District, of which she had frequented during the six months prior to her enrollment at the Academy.

She felt a sense of reprieve in the familiar territory.

"Karin-chan!" Swivelling around, she was met with Misa, a girl she was fairly certain hated her, and two guys of which she was unfamiliarized. "I thought you said you weren't coming!"

"Er.." Upon further observation, she realized she had landed on the same street the restaurant she'd been invited to drink at was located, and in a split-second of contemplation, she just grinned, shrugging. "Changed my mind."

The smile she received reminded her of her sister, evoking a faint sense of nostalgic warmth in her chest. "Awesome!" Misa chirped, grabbing her hand and leading her inside. "Come on, I'll buy you a drink."

Projecting a halfly-forced gleam of appreciation, she let herself be led to an empty booth, where she slid into the corner for the sake of seclusion from their other three companions, as well as the rest of food-indulgers and bar-goers, letting the rather pleasant, albeit loud, music distract her from her thoughts.

She was soon presented with a tall glass of questionable liquid, of which she didn't bother to examine and wasted no time consuming, the stream of bitter elixir burning down her throat being the only verification she needed.

When offered another, she accepted, and when her mind began to blur, she continued. She'd exploit any means to forget about that frosty bastard.

If only for a night.

* * *

_all your insides fall to pieces_

_you just sit there wishing you could still make love_

* * *

**Lyrics: High and Dry - Radiohead**


	6. vi

_ah, now I don't hardly know her_

_but I think I can love her_

* * *

Past

* * *

Once again, he found himself in the Living World.

This time, however, he wasn't sent to assist in the Arrancar attacks, nor was he there by the request of his lieutenant to attend a party. No, this time, he was meant to monitor a human, a single living soul with substantial reiatsu, as had been reported, and at the moment, he was having difficulty tracing it.

He'd arrived the previous morning, searched all day via scaling buildings and venturing the perimeter of the town of Karakura, as he had been told the 'wanted' resided there, and he'd even asked that dimwit shinigami for assistance.

That had been a total loss.

And now, after a day and a half of searching and not finding, he wandered about the streets, aimlessly, in a gigai, taking what he deemed a 'little break'. Sure, he had a time limit, but that limit stretched for several weeks, possibly months, so he had lots of time to do what he's been told he didn't do enough of: laze around.

This proved troublesome, however, as he didn't truly understand the customs these humans had, and so, he found himself loitering on the sidewalks, leaning against the outer walls of restaurants and boutiques, unsure of what to do.

He'd been doing this long enough to have completed his day's worth of reports via mobile device, leaving him even more lost, without any means of preoccupation, and he was just about to retire early and head, albeit reluctantly, to Urahara's, where he was meant to reside for the duration of his stay, when he found himself, suddenly, with company.

"Toshiro!" A roughly feminine voice accosted from nearby, halting his precedent.

With his hands shoved in his pockets, he turned on his heel to regard his greeter, and his gaze instantly fell victim to Karin Kurosaki, clad in Karakura High's uniform blouse and pleated skirt, hand held high in the midst of a jovial wave.

There was an unfathomable flutter in his chest when he saw her, not unlike the last going off of their previous encounter, and with effortless patience, he waited, whilst her radiant demeanor drew closer.

"Long time no see," she remarked once she made it within spitting distance of him and placed her hands on her hips, lips quirking daintily. "What's it been, like, a year?"

"Just about."

She hummed momentarily, as if lost in reminiscence. Not unlike him at the moment, as he was also caught in remembrance of what had caused that flutter in his chest all those months ago, and after a long second of intent scrutiny - "So, whatcha doin' here?"

He kept it vague, "Business."

"Hn," her brows scrunched; wary, "'big bad' in town again?"

"No," he assured her simply, and the slightest worry line dissipated, accentuating her gleeful features.

"What are you up to right now, then?"

"... nothing."

"Cool," she practically chirped. "Well, we were just heading to the diner around the block, d'you wanna come-'

Her words hitched as she was yanked rather forcefully from behind, and his eyes narrowed as he regarded the four sheepish and untrusting boys that had, apparently, been loitering behind her throughout the whole interaction without his knowing. The reasons behind this, he couldn't pinpoint.

Now, they spoke in not so hushed whispers; "What are you doing, Karin?!", "You're friends with this guy?!" - "Yes," he heard her snap, "what of it?" - "Well, it's just.. look at him! The guy _bleaches_ his hair!" - that evoked an imaginative tick mark on referenced boy's forehead - "Yeah, he's like one of those juvenile delinquents or something!" - he heard her scoff, "You guy's are being ridiculous." - "But Karin-" - "He's coming with and that's that, stop being a bunch of wussies." -

At that, she spun on her heel to face a not so impressed Toshiro, whose scowl had deepened to a whole new level, and with a broad grin. "Alright," she stepped forward and began ushering him down the sidewalk, her overbearing friends in tow, "let's hurry up, I wanna get there before dinner rush."

* * *

_ah, now when she comes walkin' over_

_now I've been waitin' to show her_

_crimson and clover_

_over and over_

* * *

**Lyrics: Crimson and Clover - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (or Tommy James and the Shondells, if you prefer)**


	7. vii

_excuse me if I spoke too soon_

_my eyes have always followed you around the room_

* * *

Present

* * *

She was a tricky one to trace; she surely exceeded most in the skill of hiding reiatsu. Although, he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to find her. His heart was adamant to, in spite of him, as it had for years belonged to her, but his mind, calculative and skeptical, was resistant. It worked to rebuild the wall of which she'd breached with that simple, yet complex response and that unwitting, yet riveting gesture, whilst he just sat there, feigning composure as he filed his paperwork, giving no sign to his boisterous company that he was both emotionally and mentally conflicted.

Days morphed into weeks, his sentiment and mentality continued to battle, and throughout it all, he never saw her. Not once. Even after her induction to the Eleventh Division, when she became an official denizen of the Seireitei, she remained a ghost, a shadow in the night, and he began to think that was it; that there would be no further interaction between them and he would forever dwell on that little meeting, wondering what _could've_ been if he'd just stop screwing everything up.

Then, as fate would have it, she befriended Matsumoto.

* * *

His focus instantly snapped to the door as it slid open, revealing the subject of his thoughts and the source of his turmoil as she sauntered into his office, elegant as ever. He let his eyes travel her form, noting her modern-esque ensemble appreciatively, and for a minute, he felt nostalgic.

"I take it that you like the dress?" Karin presumed moments later, having been aware of his practical ogling whilst she picked a loose yellow thread from his sofa, and let her gaze drift to his, raising an amused brow as he visibly snapped from his trance.

Toshiro cleared his throat. "Sure," he conceded indifferently, and with sudden neglect of his work, he leaned back in his chair, quite surprised that she initiated a conversation and adamant to keep it going. "Although, I get the feeling you're less than thrilled to be wearing it."

"Perceptive as always," she remarked subtlety, the underside of her shoes scuffing the hardwood floor as she paced about; eyes straying elsewhere while she spoke, "Well, it was either this or Rangiku would load my face with makeup, and since I didn't want a repeat of prom.." she simply gestured to her herself for blatant explanation.

He yielded to another once over, the faintest smile playing his lips as he met her flawless visage, "I'm sure your face will appreciate it." A smirk twisted her features daintily in response. "Yuzu put so much on you last time I nearly gave you a black-eye taking it off."

"You _did_ give me a black-eye," she corrected bluntly, though her expression didn't waver.

Toshiro shrugged, non-committed. "Blame it on the face cloth and soap." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, you got your revenge."

There was a mild, almost unnoticeable pause in her actions, eyes reflecting unwitting reminiscence, then everything resumed its course, and she averted her gaze once more, raking her hair behind her ears in a near-timid manner. Perhaps it was a careless comment on his part, but it would've happened sooner or later; it was common. They'd share pleasantries, mere words or a small conversation - usually upon coercion from his lieutenant - and once it became too close for comfort, she'd verbally shut down. Abruptly, she'd end such friendly dialogue, whether it be because of something he said or something she said, and she'd either make an excuse to leave, strike up conversation with Matsumoto, or just remain in place, picking loose threads from his sofa.

And he'd never deny her escape. As, with every kindred interaction, he was slowly chipping away at her stone barricade, one word at a time; with every genuine curl of her lips and amiable shine in her eyes, he was getting closer to her.

It was a resolve to chase. What he was chasing, he wasn't exactly sure, but throughout those past weeks of coincidental company, he'd grown attached to her once more. And he wasn't going to let her go this time. He was determined to break down her guard, eager to find what's on the other side, and he would eventually succeed. 'cause, as selfish as the notion may be, they were stuck in an indefinite eternity together, and she could only resist him for so long.

And so they remained. Within reach and miles apart, they stewed in the ensuing silence within those four walls; she continued to pace, hips swaying as her hand trailed along the binds of books stacked neatly on shelves, refusing to look at him, and he resumed writing his reports, pen drawing the words absentmindedly as his eyes lingered on her every move, inconspicuously observing her.

If only for a little while longer.

"Sorry I'm late!" Rangiku repented as she strode into the office not five minutes later, also dressed in modern clothing. Toshiro figured his lieutenant was sick of kimonos and obi sashes again. "Oh!" the blonde exclaimed, a smile spreading from ear to ear once she regarded the young girl skimming the pages of a randomly chosen book. "You look so pretty, Karin!"

Returning the book to it's place, Karin cast the woman a glance, smiling crookedly. "Thanks.."

"But I really think you should let me-'

"For the thousandth time," she interjected, expression firm. "No makeup."

"Oh, alright," Rangiku yielded, waving a nonchalant hand. "Ready to go, then?" Karin merely nodded, and the blonde cast a look at her captain. "You should think about joining us, Taicho."

He was about to flat out decline, as spending time in a bar with a bunch of drunken idiots was far from his idea of fun, but when a low snort sounded from the younger girl, he had a sudden change of heart.

"Okay," he agreed coolly, challenge painting his features as Karin cast him a look of almost timid shock. "I'll meet you there."

* * *

_'cause you're the only god that I will ever need_

_I'm holding on and waiting for the moment to find me_

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks so much for all the feedback so far, much appreciated, and I hope you liked this chapter!

**Lyrics: If I Had A Gun... - Noel Gallagher**


	8. viii

_you gotta spend some time, love_

_you gotta spend some time with me_

* * *

Past

* * *

They were unsuccessful in getting to the diner before dinner rush, due to slow traffic-lights and a rather heated confrontation between Karin and a reckless bicyclist, ultimately dooming them to wait a good forty-five minutes for their food. And throughout this hunger-driven interval, whilst Toshiro observed the interactions and listened to the conversations between the four teenage boys sitting across the table from Karin and himself, there was one thing that consistently perplexed the renowned genius - he couldn't believe that she actually _hung-out_ with these idiots. They barely equaled a complete braincell.

Moronic articulation and perverted tendencies - that was the four of them in a nutshell. Though, sadly, they posed no threat, leaving him condemned to deal with their irritating mannerisms, and moreover, the overbearing, skeptical, and timid leers he was receiving from each of them, all because of some unfathomable obligation to please the girl sitting to his left. Who, at the current time, was sporting a deep and impatient scowl.

"Ugh!" Karin grunted indignantly, obsidian depths fierce with restless starvation. "This is taking forever!"

Focus unwavering from the sheet of sugar he was spreading out before him on the table, Toshiro rolled his eyes. "Well, _maybe_ if you hadn't lashed out at that kid earlier, we would've gotten here sooner and not have had to wait so long."

"Hey," she refuted curtly, shooting him a defensive glare, "that_ kid_ almost ran me over."

"Yeah, _almost_," he argued bluntly, unaffected by her glower. "And I doubt that strange mode of transportation would've done much harm." Tearing his attention from where his index finger was breaking a line through the pearly white grains, he cast her a teasing gleam. "You were just being irrationally angry, just like your brother."

"Better than being an arrogant asshole like you," she quipped, visage unmitigated.

"_Me_, an '_arrogant asshole_'?" He scoffed, averting his attention once more, "I'm an angel."

"Yeah," she jeered in return. "Angel from hell."

He smirked, too charming for her liking. "Better than being a temperamental little human."

Features twisting irately, she glowered at him. Yet, none of the many flippant retorts that had come to mind escaped her; instead of voicing her indignation, Karin saw fit to boldly lean in and blow a gust of air towards his masterpiece, causing every grain of sugar to sift off the table and onto his lap.

"Come on, Pinta," she accosted as she slid out of the booth, ignoring Toshiro's immediate glare so effortlessly it damaged his pride, "let's go see what's up."

The poor boy was quite prompt to get up and follow her, Toshiro noted, and once he'd finished glaring after Karin's retreating figure until she disappeared from view and grudgingly brushing the mess from his lap until every spec of white was on the floor below, Toshiro regarded the remaining three boys, all of whom were staring at him as if he had two heads.

Heaving an inaudible sigh, he cocked a frosty brow at them. "What?"

They all shared a look, as if communicating telepathically; Ryohei was the first to speak. "We're just, sorta, impressed.." he vouched, dumbstruck demeanor intact.

"Yeah," Donny backed, "none of us ever talk to the Boss that way."

His forehead creased, "'Boss'?" Then, suddenly, it clicked - they're her _minions;_ it all made sense now. And Toshiro couldn't help but smirk in mild amusement. "Well," he started, "perhaps it's high time you guys got a backbone."

Their expressions twisted with consideration.

"But," Donny lowered his voice, as if worried she'd appear at any moment, "she's scary!"

Toshiro's broadened smirk reflected inward laughter. "Nah, she's a sweet girl," he declared, tone so flat his sarcasm was completely indistinct. "Totally harmless."

"Who's sweet and harmless?"

He swore he saw the three boys shudder at her abrupt return.

"I was just telling them about my sister Momo," Toshiro replied coolly, as if he'd been prepared, and Karin merely nodded, having met referenced girl the year before, and took her place beside him once more, convinced. "So, what's going on with the food?"

"Oh," her features brightened, "they accidentally gave our order to another table. Apparently cheeseburger platters are popular today."

He tilted his head, curious. "And you're smiling _because_...?"

"_Because_," she started matter-of-factly, lips pulling up into a broad smile, "that means were getting free food."

There was a low round of cheers from the four male teens, accompanied by an even wider grin from Karin, as if she was taking the credit, and not five minutes later, they were presented with the proclaimed 'free food'. And, as if they'd been starved for weeks, none of them hesitated to shove the food in their mouths, eliciting a less than refined display of eating.

All except one. The most hungry of them all, who barely consumed a full french-fry before her features had once again twisted into a deep scowl, directed solely at the ketchup bottle in her grasp.

"Ugh," she grunted yet again, smacking her palm against the bottom of the vial aggressively. "_Come out._." she pleaded through gritted teeth, as if the bottle would obey her.

"Karin," Toshiro intervened a moment later, a tinge of ridicule seeping through his muffled-by-food voice, "I believe it's empty."

"Shut up, Toshiro," she spat, slamming the bottle back down on the table none too collectively. Karin then shot a faintly pleading - but mostly domineering - look across the table, "Ryohei, could you go steal a bottle from another table for me?"

"Uh.." he unusually hesitated, swallowing his food in one hard gulp; he cast a quizzical look at Toshiro, of whom merely shook his head in wordless and discreet response, mouthing a 'no'. "No...?" Two white brows rose, teal eyes coercing further assertion. "I mean - No." Ryohei replied far more firmly than before.

Clearly surprised, Karin drawled, "Er.. alright," Too eager to eat - which could only happen with ketchup, apparently - to press the matter, she shifted out of the booth once again, "guess I'll do it, then."

There was an air of pride about Ryohei as he resumed eating, such defiance, obviously, a rare occurrence, and Karin soon returned to Toshiro's side with the much needed ketchup bottle, completely unaware she'd just lost her loyal minions to the latter.

.

.

.

The shift in power became apparent to the temperamental Kurosaki girl roughly a half-hour later as the six of them loitered outside the restaurant, a scowl etching onto her features whilst she stood almost dutifully beside Toshiro and glowered at her traitorous friends whilst they bombarded the frosty shinigami captain with inquiries like a bunch of starry-eyed girls, practically grovelling at his feet like he was the damn Master Chief.

She couldn't discern whether he liked the attention or not, given his ever present stoic demeanor, but she could tell he was running out of answers, given his limited knowledge of the human world, so eventually, more for her benefit than his, she cut her friends off with an abrupt 'best be going now! Bye!' and began dragging him by the hand down the sidewalk, steadfast towards no destination in particular.

Truthfully, she just wanted to be alone. With him. For reasons she didn't _quite_ want to fully acknowledge yet.

So she settled with apathy, releasing him from her grasp once they'd rounded the corner as if the act had been troublesome, rather than strangely enjoyable.

"'guess congratulations are in order," she started, scuffing her heels along the concrete whilst she paced leisurely. "You're now the official representative for Karakura's own Band of Idiots." Her dark eyes twinkled with blatant mockery as she cast him a smirk, "Not bad for your first day."

"I'm truly honored," he drawled, rolling his eyes and submerging his hands in his jeans' pockets once more. "And I arrived yesterday."

"Running around town on rooftops all day, unseen by actual people, doesn't count," she asserted bluntly.

He merely grunted a 'whatever'.

"And while were on the subject, why exactly _are_ you here?" Silence. "What? Is it a top secret mission or something?" Tight-lipped, he threw her a sideways glance. "Alright, I get it. You can't tell me." It wasn't that he _couldn't_ tell her, he just didn't want to incite the motive to help him. Which, given her genetic pool, would surely happen if he disclosed his mission.

"So," she switched tactics, lips quirking cutely with hope, "is it safe to assume you'll be sticking around for a while, then?"

"For a while," he confirmed aloofly, gaze set on a distant point.

Smile broadening, Karin bit her lower lip and cast her gaze to the pavement, succumbing to thoughtful quietude. The crisp early-spring air nipped her legs and ruffled his hair as they walked in a sudden misplaced silence, trekking unhurriedly and aimlessly throughout the downtown area, the younger counterpart too caught up in almost bashful anticipation to notice the pair of teal eyes watching her like a covetous hawk.

"Do you have to be home soon?" he eventually asked, breaking the lull and bringing her to full attention.

Initially, her eyes darted upwards, noting the night sky with a sense of surprise. "Uh, about an hour ago, actually." She met his gaze, of which betrayed no disappointment. "Why?"

He stared at her a split-moment longer, then briskly resumed his step, "Nothing."

Brow creasing with skepticism, Karin stalked after him. "What?" she persisted, blocking his path.

"It's late," he ignored her inquiry offhandedly, swiftly walking around her. "You have to get home."

"Toshiro!" she fumed, the soles of her sneakers scraping loudly against the pavement as she worked to keep in step with him. "Tell me what you were going to say!"

"Have you forgotten that I'm here for a reason, Karin?" he questioned rhetorically, not bothering to meet her fierce stare. "I don't have the time to stand around and argue with you over nothing. So shut up and let me walk you home."

Eyes wide as saucers with incredulity, she sputtered, unsure whether to punch an indignant retort into his jaw or commend him for his impeccable douchebaggery. And when he turned to cock an expectant brow at her, radiating arrogance, she chose a third option: stomping away.

Toshiro watched in amusement as she stalked off ahead of him, fists clenched tightly at her sides and skirt flapping furiously about her stocking-clad legs, an almost doting smirk playing his lips.

She truly did get angry over the most trivial things.

.

.

.

She'd eventually slowed down, perhaps out of exhaustion, permitting him to keep in step beside her whilst she crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at him out of her peripheral. He didn't bother to hide his smirk, her temper too comical to deny outward enjoyment, and with this, he only incited further irritation from his female companion. Mostly due to the fact that, mocking or not, that little smirk of his held just the right amount of charm to take it's toll on her growing fondness, making being angry at him that much more difficult.

Which, of course, only made her that much more angry; she didn't even remember what is was she'd gotten so offended about. She just knew that, whatever it was, he was still, silently but blatantly, making fun of her for it.

And this only heightened once they reached her house.

"What?" he called after her as she wordlessly made her way up the path to her door, tone dripping with almost song-like ridicule. "No goodnight kiss?"

"Get bent!" she spat, slamming the door behind her hard enough to echo about the neighbourhood.

Merely spinning on his heel, Toshiro began his journey to Urahara's, hands clenched unconsciously in his pockets and grin plastered deliberately on his face, a sense of anticipation brewing in his chest.

Well, his stay in the Living World wouldn't be boring, that's for sure.

* * *

_and I know that you'll find, love_

_I will possess your heart_

* * *

**A/N: **Yeah, I know, not much happened. But, it was important nonetheless, for development sake (and who'll complain about some HitsuKarin banter?), and now, things can pick up in the past tense. Promise the next chapter won't take too long, as I'm pretty eager to write it, considering it revolves around my favourite HitsuKarin aspect: _sexual tension._ Anyways, hope you liked the chapter!

Also, thanks again to all those who reviewed so far, it's beyond great that you guy's take the time to comment, even when the chapter's are barely (with the exception of this one) 1000 words. They truly do make me grin like an idiot.

Alright, off to write Part IX!

**Lyrics: I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie**


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